Re: [ox-en] Slides for Lancaster
- From: Michael Bauwens <michelsub2003 yahoo.com>
- Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:39:09 -0700 (PDT)
Stefan,
thanks for reminding us of the germ form metaphor, and
also the onion ring concept.
My question is: this obviously corresponds to what is
happening, but can you also explain why?
I did some recent thinking on the timing aspects of
the peer to peer change.
Here it is:
(also available via
http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/from-the-stadiality-of-capitalism-to-the-stadiality-of-peer-to-peer/2007/09/23)
Michel
David Laibmanâ??s Deep History, which has already
inspired me to a previous editorial comparing the peer
to peer transition to that from slavery to feudalism,
offers an innovative interpretation into the stadial
(= by stages) evolution of capitalism. It is an
abstract theory, but compatible with the historical
record. I will first describe his vision, then inquire
into its compatibility with our vision on the peer to
peer transformation.
I urge anyone interested in peer to peer theory to
read the following carefully, as I see it as a major
new integrative moment and achievement in the
understanding of the change dynamics of the coming
era.
David Laibmanâ??s theory goes like this, and my
apologies for the simplifications.
He distinguishes two axes with each two polarities,
which gives four quandrants. The logic of evolution,
goes per column, from the top down (this gives: top
left, bottom left, top right, bottom right).
The vertical axis divides up diffusion vs.
accumulation. Accumulation is the well-known process
of adding up capital through intensive development,
i.e. â??locallyâ??. Diffusion is the lesser known
process of the extensive spread of capitalist
relations in a precapitalist environment, say the
McDonaldisation of the Third World.
The horizontal access divides internally oriented
phases, from external oriented phases. This gives four
quadrants, i.e. four phases, and three transitions
between them.
DL also importantly distinguishes low-interventionist
â??passive statesâ?? and â??high-interventionistâ??
active state forms.
He also introduces â??long cycles of balance of social
powerâ??, with an upswing of workers power, and a long
period of downswing. Iâ??ll leave this mostly out of
the picture, but it is not difficult to see the
downswing starting in the 1980â??s and picking up
speed after 1989.
I. Explaining the phases of capitalism
Letâ??s start.
Phase 1: internal diffusion of capitalist relations.
This is the first mercantile phase of capitalism,
marked by the enclosures and forced proletarianisation
of the English peasants, and outside the process was
fed through the colonial expansion, slave trade,
etcâ?¦ The era is marked by active absolutist
monarchies.
Transition I: nation-state start to coalesce, and
passive states emerge.
Phase 2: internal accumulation with passive state: the
liberal era of the 19th century.
Intensive but â??spontaneousâ?? accumulation within
nation states, is combined with a fairly passive
â??laisser faireâ?? state approach.
Transition II: capital starts to transgress national
boundaries, but national capital starts demanding
protection from their states, while emerging social
movements start making their demands.
Phase 3: external diffusion, active national states
The imperialist era which is marked by a formation of
a world market, and the hardening of strong states,
both for international competition, and for internal
regulation and responding to the demands of social
movements. DL divides up this â??long 20thâ?? century,
into a pre-Soviet era of classic imperialism; 2) the
Soviet interregnum period marked by American hegemony;
3) the post Soviet era marked by an erosion of that
central power of the U.S. and increasing problems
leading to a transition to the fourth stage of
globalism.
Transition III: capital starts transcending national
boundaries but in a way that can no longer be
contained by nation-states; diffusion completes but at
the same times also fails to go very deep, causing
deep cultural strains in the developing world; lack of
global state power renders inoperable any solution to
deep social divisions
Phase 4: external accumulation with a global passive
state
(of course in this stage, external becomes internal,
because it becomes the whole world, or in other words,
the internal/external distinction looses currency)
This phase of globalism, of which we are already
observing many signs in this transition period, would
mean a full realization of global accumulation on a
world scale; the key problem of a global passive state
is that there is no internal/external contradiction
that can create a â??weâ??, and therefore, says DL, it
will be marked by a hole in the hegemony layer.
In other words, we are now in a dysfunctional
â??transitionalâ?? phase of proto-globalism, and need
to transit to a full-blown form which needs its own
state form.
II. Comments
A few initial comments:
1) I think this scenario is believable on the whole,
and one of its implications is that capitalism has not
yet fulfilled its full role, that it still has to
initiate and complete this full fourth cycle.
Concluding to its obsoleteness or even â??deathâ?? may
be premature.
2) In his story, though Iâ??m still missing the last
chapters of the book, there is very little recognition
of the key role of ecological disasters, and resource
depletion; he also ignores everything we are talking
about in our blog. (that of course doesnâ??t mean the
author ignores these but they are not very prominent
in the book at all).
What kind of problems does his vision create for peer
to peer theory:
1) His theory highlights the question of timing.
Before we may see a shift to a successor civilization
that is geared around the peer to peer logic, we may
first expect a global strengthening of the capitalist
system on a world scale
2) It poses the question of what kinds of structural
reforms are needed to achieve this fourth stage
According to DL it is only this fourth stage that will
create a global abstract citizenry with a global
consciousness. (as a socialist he calls this a global
proletariat).
Some possible conclusions:
1) Many of the peer to peer developments that we
describe and try to integrate in our theory are indeed
emergent and small, they will take decades to play
out, especially the expansion to the physical field
2) Carrying out the reforms that the rise of
p2p-participatory movements (openness,
commons-orientation) and the sustainability movements
suggests are part of the key reforms which may make
such a transformation to globalism possible; it is
pretty clear that neither neoliberalism nor
neoconservatism can successfully solve the transition
problems
3) It gives sense to many of the
reforms-within-capitalism movement that we see arising
such as sustainability, social entrepreneurship,
base-of-the-pyramid approaches, blended value; indeed,
we see at present no serious social force calling for
its abolition, while at the same time many of its main
principles are contested. I suspect that the new
social compact will have elements of a kind of global
Keynesianism as proposed by Soros, and also reflect
many participative developments; what we describe as
the forces of netarchical capitalism may play a great
role in it. Note that a key issue in this transition
is solving the ecology/sustainability issues without
which the transition is not possible.
A global passive state might appear strong compared to
the weak global institutions that are operating now,
but it is correct to call it passive as it would have
relatively limited powers.
4) But this emergent globalism will then itself set
the stage for a further transition to a full peer to
peer mode, as more and more world citizens have the
skills and consciousness and access to technology that
makes a peer to peer style of social relationship a
natural thing to do. The present minority of
peer-ready knowledge workers need to become a massive
social phenomena in the whole world.
So the above gives us a clear view of the â?¦.
III. The Stadiality of Peer to Peer
Crucial is the question of timing: do we have the time
to go through two such transitions (the global and the
P2P one), before the ecological â??sh..tâ?? hits the
fan? It is likely that we do as all of the different
problems and trends will take several decades to fully
play out.
This gives us the following stadiality for peer to
peer:
1) The current emergent phase, where all new realities
are emerging as seeds
2) The phase were participation becomes a highly
visible part of a new global compact. The society is
capitalist, but it has integrated the major reforms
without which it cannot endure
3) This allows participation to become mainstream and
to become the main alternative solution for a system
which cannot structurally solve the problems of nature
and equity.
Again we find the double and contradictory conclusion
that P2P is both immanent and transcendent to the
present system. It is the very condition of its
survival and reform, and it is the seed of its
overcoming, AT THE SAME TIME.
(for comparison purposes: the absolutist monarchy was
needed for the next stage of what was still in many
ways a precapitalist regime, combining both
mercantile-capitalist and strong feudal elements, but
at the same time, it planted the seeds for its own
overcoming by parliamentary democracies in the hands
of the new emerging class which it allowed to
strengthen; similarly, the new global regime will be
capitalist, but with very strong participative
features that are the seed of a new dominant
production/governance and property mode that will
eventually overcome it)
--- Stefan Merten <smerten oekonux.de> wrote:
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Hi!
I finalized a version of slides for the KLab9 event
in Lancaster. I
and Raoul would appreciate useful comments.
Gr��e
Stefan
The P2P Foundation researches, documents and promotes peer to peer alternatives.
Wiki and Encyclopedia, at http://p2pfoundation.net; Blog, at http://blog.p2pfoundation.net; Newsletter, at http://integralvisioning.org/index.php?topic=p2p
Basic essay at http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=499; interview at http://poynder.blogspot.com/2006/09/p2p-very-core-of-world-to-come.html; video interview, at http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/09/29/network_collaboration_peer_to_peer.htm
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